The recent transfer of one of the three health assistants to another Basic Health Unit (BHU) has left locals of Yangnyer Gewog in Trashigang worried.
Villagers say the remaining two health assistants (HA) will face challenges to provide effective healthcare services to them.
With population of 3,500, Yangnyer is one of the biggest gewogs in district and most of the settlements are scattered over the landscape. That is why grade II Yangnyer BHU needs three HAs, say the villagers.
The matter was even highlighted during the latest Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
“As per the health rules and regulations, for grade II BHUs, they get only two HAs. But here, the case is different. Our villages are located 2-4 hours walk from the road head and during emergency, two health assistants need to take care of patients at the BHU while other one has to visit villages for door-to-door health services,” said Tshogpa, Wangchuk representing one of the chiwogs in the gewog.
The gewog office said the workload was already huge when the BHU was manned by three health assistants. Now with one transferred, the situation might get worse.
“Every month, one health assistant has to visit six outreach clinics in the gewog six times. The other two staff have to attend OPD patients and gynecological cases. Despite having three, we faced challenges in providing better health services,” said Mangmi of Yangnyer Gewog, Tshewang Gyeltshen.
On an average, about 30 patients visit BHU daily. The dzongkhag health officer said the health worker had to be sent to Bikar BHU in Samkhar Gewog to fill the gabs.
